MANN Chat: Expanding the Men's Movement

Tonight's Mensactivism.org on-line chat will be on the topic of what we can do individually to help increase the numbers of participants in the men's movement. What kinds of outreach are appropriate and effective? How can we mix various techniques in order to bring a broad spectrum of men into the movement? How about younger men, in high school or college? And what about women - what kinds of reasons do they decide to speak out for men's rights? Stop by our chat room tonight at 9:30 PM EST and help us answer these questions.

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Confronting Woman-Bashing in the Men's Movement

Men's issues columnist Glenn Sacks has written this column, in which he profiles the "woman bashers" of the men's movement and warns against the men's and father's movement becoming too much like their enemies. It is said "choose your enemies carefully, for someday you'll resemble them." The men's and fathers' movement is gaining in strength and slowly making progress.  However, there is a disturbing fringe element whose woman-bashing very much resembles the vicious man-bashing which men and fathers have endured for the past three decades. It is important that men's and fathers' activists confront this fringe rather than turn a blind eye to it. Glenn also submitted this column about a new study which has found that women's studies is full of misrepresentations and myths.

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Will NH Have a State Men's Commission?

New Hampshire is inching closer and closer to passing a bill which would establish a state Men's Commission, to study and advocate solutions to issues which negatively impact men as a gender. A full Senate vote on this bill is due any time now, and much of the reason I've been so negligent with Mensactivism.org lately is that I've been very caught up in doing local activism to help promote this bill. An article I wrote for the UNH school newspaper has been adapted for MANN and appears in the Read More section below. If you're a NH resident, please take a moment and write a letter in support of the bill. If you're not a NH resident, you can still write in support of the bill, and let NH Senators know that the country is eagerly hoping to see the success of a state Men's Commission.

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Getting To Batterers While They Are Young

Luek writes "The current anti-violence TV, radio and newspaper campaign that is specifically directed at young males to sensitize them early on about their supposed innate inclination to abuse defenseless and innocent females in their lives is being promoted by an organization in San Francisco, California called "The Family Violence Prevention Fund." Their website is here. This project was previously discussed and critiqued in this forum a couple of days ago. I just sent them an e-mail voicing my concern about their one sided and misandrous approach to resolving this very serious problem of domestic violence."

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Gerald Reynolds Appointed to Education Office

frank h writes "[President Bush] had appointed Gerald Reynolds to the Department of Education's Office if Civil Rights, the office responsible for enforcing Title IX and all of the draconian measures that have resulted in less-than-acceptable education for boys and the destruction of many boy's sports programs in high schools and colleges. Though Sen. Ted Kennedy was doing his best to block Reynold's nomination through parliamentary maneuvering, the President has appointed Reynolds in a recess appointment. The article is here. We need to write to Mr. Reynolds and keep him advised of the continuing assault on boys in education and scholastic & collegiate sports."

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Maureen Dowd's Misandrist Rantings

Equalitarian62 writes "It appears that the misandrist Maureen Dowd has written another anti-male editorial, (free NYT registration required) this time about Catholic priests. Dowd writes: "The vow of celibacy serves as a magnet for men running away from sexual feelings they are ashamed of. And the allegedly celibate society these men enter retards their sexual development, funneling their impulses in inappropriate directions." I believe that nuns take a similar vow. Would Dowd have described them in a similar fashion?"

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Interesting Men's Health Report

Tony writes "There is a new report out about mens health. I have not read it all (its very long at 80+ pages) but from the opening pages it seems very good, acknowledging "Men's health is greatly ignored,.." You can click here to download the PDF file." The title of the report is In Their Own Right: Addressing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of American Men, and it is published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute.

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Cheaters Exploits DV Against Men

warble writes "On March 23 at midnight, KCAL channel 9 aired an episode of Cheaters that I believe glorifies and condones violence against men. The name of the couple was Christian & Bret. It was about Bret being a cheating husband. What was disturbing were the three distinct alleged physical assaults on Bret by Christian. In addition, there was a police response where Bret was seeking protection from the DV. Cheaters helped Christian avoid arrest. The host pointed out that Bret wanted protection and was asking the police to have his wife arrested for DV. Further, Christian repeatedly brought into question the issue of child neglect. She was claiming that the child was suffering for want of formula. Clearly, the Child Protection Services should have been called and Christian arrested. However, I believe that the host of Cheaters.com obstructed justice. You can voice your protest at Cheeters.com, and you can write or call KCAL channel 9 in Los Angeles to voice your dismay at KCAL."

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Kerkorkian to Pay $324k/Month for Child That is Not His

Garth writes "These two stories (one, two), describe the Kerkorkian child support battle. Lisa Bonder Kerkorkian is asking for $324,000 a month to support their 4 year old daughter. It has been shown, however, that she faked the DNA paternity test. Unfortunately, the husband signed a paternity document, which of course nullifies the fact that the girl is not his daughter. Also of note, he must pay half his wife's legal bill because she only has 12 million dollars, whereas he has 6.5 billion."

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Dear Abby Prints Philip Cook Letter

Marc Angelucci writes "Dear Abby on March 22nd printed a letter by Phil Cook of Stop Abuse For Everyone and she responded by admitting that domestic violence in not a gender issue but a human issue and that female-to-male violence is an "ugly, often ignored problem."" This is a good sign that the truth about domestic violence against men is starting to enter common knowledge.

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Against Military Conscription

Congressman Ron Paul has written an interesting article Against Military Conscription arguing that conscription violates the principles of democracy, among other common sense ideas. The only problem I have with this article is the fact he puts a gender-neutral spin on the draft, which I feel is quite misleading. Having said that, men's advocates should take notice of the arguments within, as most of them are quite good but easily understated, for example: "A military draft also appears to contradict the constitutional prohibition of involuntary servitude."

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Schlussel Blasts Steinem For Sexist Comments

Conservative columnist Debbie Schlussel wrote this column about our favorite misandrist Gloria Steinem, who recently claimed at a YWCA charity event that masculinity is responsible for all the evil in the world. Yup, that's the solution to terrorism against Americans-let's give our boys Barbies, pearls, and china patterns. Everyone knows that would have prevented attacks on the WTC. And created some real macho firemen and policemen to rescue the victims.

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Gloria Steinem: Men Are Evil

This story on NewsMax describes gender feminist icon Gloria Steinem's latest hate-rant against men. She spoke at a YWCA charity event, where she blamed masculinity for everything from pedophilia in the Catholic Church, to Nazism, to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Anyone know where one may write to Steinem so we may impart to her what a misandrist bigot she is?

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Light Dawns on the Media's Ignorance of Male DV Victims

My latest column, which will also appear today on Wendy McElroy's ifeminists.com points out the hypocrisy of Western media when covering the issue of domestic violence, and how they ignore male victims even when the evidence is in their own faces. Drawing on nationally syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams' recent admission of his own cultural bias, I feel it is time for all media to examine their own cultural biases when reporting on domestic violence. It shouldn't be a gender issue.

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More Progress on the "Male Pill"

Neil Steyskal writes "Since the most severe risks for men derive from having children (paternity fraud, divorce, child support, etc.), this report about the development of a contraceptive for men is extremely important. I hope we can find ways to promote its rapid completion and distribution."

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